This invention relates to a system for trimming seats which is particularly adapted for motor vehicle seat backs.
In trimming automotive seat assemblies with soft trim, a neat appearance and ease of manufacture are of extreme importance. Todays motor vehicle purchasers demand interior trim having clean and neat lines with raw material edges hidden from view. In order to reduce seat manufacturing costs, it is desirable to employ processes which provide low cycle times and which do not require a high degree of operator skill.
The trimming of motor vehicle seat back assemblies becomes particularly difficult when the seat is of the so-called "halo" type which has a large hole through the upper portion of the seat back. The front and rear trim covers of the seat back must be connected around the perimeter edge of the seat back and further where they join within the hole through the seat back. One approach toward connecting the trim covers in the hole area is to sew them together in that region. This approach however, requires the front or rear trim cover to be fed through the hole and then spread out on the respective seat portions before they are connected together around the perimeter of the seat back. This operation is highly labor intensive and accordingly imposes cost penalties.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide a trim assembly particularly adapted for automotive seat backs of the halo variety. The trim assemblies according to this invention enable easy and rapid assembly, while permitting disassembly for servicing and repair.
In accordance with this invention, a rigid ring member is installed within the seat back hole and includes a flange portion which engages a trim cover portion of the seat and has another flange having a reversely bent edge channel. A break-over strip affixed to a trim cover portion fits within the channel formed by the bent flange and is retained therein to complete the trimming of the seat back hole. In accordance with an alternate embodiment of this invention, the ring member is made integral with a seat back rear cover.